How to cut gun deaths
Reducing the number of guns or reducing access to guns would lead to fewer gun deaths. Another way to cut gun violence would be to treat it as a public health issue and establish stricter gun regulations. So…
States with tighter gun laws have fewer armed youth on the streets
When states have strict gun laws, teens are less likely to carry guns on the streets, according to a new study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Boston University researchers. The authors also found youth…
Living more safely with guns
There are ways to bring together both sides of the nation’s gun debate to address the public health threat of firearm violence in the United States, which claims an estimated 33,000 lives annually and puts the nation at…
Today’s racial violence has long roots in the past
August 3, 2015 -- A recent string of racially motivated violence in the U.S.—including the horrific shooting deaths of nine people in a black church in Charleston, South Carolina in June—is deeply connected with a violent past that…
Keeping guns out of the wrong hands
Requiring those seeking gun permits to apply in person to local police departments is likely a more effective way to prevent gun-related violence than requiring a federal background check, according to David Hemenway, professor of health policy at…
Treating depression, anxiety in child soldiers pays off long-term
A study of former child soldiers and other youth impacted by the civil war in Sierra Leone shows that treating the youngsters’ depression and anxiety can have long-lasting payoffs. “We were surprised to see the large role that…
Screening tool helps identify sexually exploited children
It can be challenging for health care providers to identify young victims of sexual trafficking due to its hidden nature, poor understanding by law enforcement and other service providers, and psychological factors experienced by victims. But a new…
Better communication, less violence
Steven Hafner is constantly asking the question “why?” And at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health he’s directing that question to the issue of violence against Native American women.
Scientists agree: Guns don’t make society safer
Scientists who conduct research on gun violence overwhelmingly agree that firearms make society more dangerous, according to a recent poll conducted by David Hemenway of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Hemenway, an expert on the public…
Poll of Mass. police chiefs finds respondents favor discretion in issuing concealed gun permits
For immediate release: April 16, 2015 Boston, MA – Who decides who can carry concealed firearms legally? Should local police chiefs have a say? Massachusetts police chiefs think so. A new survey finds that a large majority of…
